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I would have replaced Super Eagles legends Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu – Kcee claims
Before dominating the Nigerian music scene, Kingsley Chinweike Okonkwo—popularly known as Kcee—was lacing up his boots with dreams of football stardom.
In a surprising revelation during a recent interview, the “Limpopo” hitmaker opened up about his early passion for football and how it almost led him to wear the green and white of the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of legends like Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu.
“My first time leaving Nigeria was for football,” Kcee recalled. “I played for Julius Berger and Puma FC. That was before music even entered the picture.”
As a teenager in the mid-90s, Kcee was already making waves on the local football scene. He was part of the generation tipped to succeed the likes of Okocha and Kanu. “Jay Jay and Kanu were ahead of us. After their set, we were supposed to be the next crop of Super Eagles players,” he told Daily Post.
However, his football journey faced a major obstacle: lack of sponsorship. With limited support and mounting challenges, his football dreams started to fade—just as his music ambitions began to take shape.
Everything changed in 2002 when Kcee and Precious John won the Star Quest talent show as the duo KC Presh. The victory didn’t just bring fame; it brought financial reward and clarity.
“I started making money through music. So I had to choose one. That’s why I left football,” Kcee explained.
“The first time I travelled out of this country was football. I was playing for Julius Berger…”
– Kcee pic.twitter.com/WQgEdudXlb
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) April 12, 2025
Though he left the football pitch behind, Kcee found his own spotlight, rising to become one of Nigeria’s most recognizable entertainers—proving that sometimes, destiny changes the game plan for something even bigger.